Yehezkiel 16:15
Konteks16:15 “‘But you trusted in your beauty and capitalized on your fame by becoming a prostitute. You offered your sexual favors to every man who passed by so that your beauty 1 became his.
Yehezkiel 23:1--29:21
Konteks23:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 23:2 “Son of man, there were two women who were daughters of the same mother. 23:3 They engaged in prostitution in Egypt; in their youth they engaged in prostitution. Their breasts were squeezed there; lovers 2 fondled their virgin nipples there. 23:4 Oholah was the name of the older and Oholibah 3 the name of her younger sister. They became mine, and gave birth to sons and daughters. 4 Oholah is Samaria and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
23:5 “Oholah engaged in prostitution while she was mine. 5 She lusted after her lovers, the Assyrians 6 – warriors 7 23:6 clothed in blue, governors and officials, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. 23:7 She bestowed her sexual favors on them; all of them were the choicest young men of Assyria. She defiled herself with all whom she desired 8 – with all their idols. 23:8 She did not abandon the prostitution she had practiced in Egypt; for in her youth men had sex with her, fondled her virgin breasts, and ravished her. 9 23:9 Therefore I handed her over to her lovers, the Assyrians 10 for whom she lusted. 23:10 They exposed her nakedness, seized her sons and daughters, and killed her with the sword. She became notorious 11 among women, and they executed judgments against her.
23:11 “Her sister Oholibah watched this, 12 but she became more corrupt in her lust than her sister had been, and her acts of prostitution were more numerous than those of her sister. 23:12 She lusted after the Assyrians – governors and officials, warriors in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men. 23:13 I saw that she was defiled; both of them followed the same path. 23:14 But she increased her prostitution. She saw men carved on the wall, images of the Chaldeans carved in bright red, 13 23:15 wearing belts on their waists and flowing turbans on their heads, all of them looking like officers, the image of Babylonians 14 whose native land is Chaldea. 23:16 When she saw them, 15 she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. 16 23:17 The Babylonians crawled into bed with her. 17 They defiled her with their lust; after she was defiled by them, she 18 became disgusted with them. 23:18 When she lustfully exposed her nakedness, 19 I 20 was disgusted with her, just as I 21 had been disgusted with her sister. 23:19 Yet she increased her prostitution, remembering the days of her youth when she engaged in prostitution in the land of Egypt. 23:20 She lusted after their genitals – as large as those of donkeys, 22 and their seminal emission was as strong as that of stallions. 23:21 This is how you assessed 23 the obscene conduct of your youth, when the Egyptians fondled 24 your nipples and squeezed 25 your young breasts.
23:22 “Therefore, Oholibah, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look here, 26 I am about to stir up against you the lovers with whom you were disgusted; I will bring them against you from every side: 23:23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, 27 Shoa, 28 and Koa, 29 and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, all of them governors and officials, officers and nobles, all of them riding on horses. 23:24 They will attack 30 you with weapons, 31 chariots, wagons, and with a huge army; 32 they will array themselves against you on every side with large shields, small shields, and helmets. I will assign them the task of judgment; 33 they will punish you according to their laws. 23:25 I will direct 34 my jealous anger against you, and they will deal with you in rage. They will cut off your nose and your ears, 35 and your survivors will die 36 by the sword. They will seize your sons and daughters, and your survivors will be consumed by fire. 23:26 They will strip your clothes off you and take away your beautiful jewelry. 23:27 So I will put an end to your obscene conduct and your prostitution which you have practiced in the land of Egypt. 37 You will not seek their help 38 or remember Egypt anymore.
23:28 “For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look here, 39 I am about to deliver you over to 40 those whom you hate, to those with whom you were disgusted. 23:29 They will treat you with hatred, take away all you have labored for, 41 and leave you naked and bare. Your nakedness will be exposed, just as when you engaged in prostitution and obscene conduct. 42 23:30 I will do these things to you 43 because you engaged in prostitution with the nations, polluting yourself with their idols. 23:31 You have followed the ways of your sister, so I will place her cup of judgment 44 in your hand. 23:32 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: “You will drink your sister’s deep and wide cup; 45 you will be scorned and derided, for it holds a great deal. 23:33 You will be overcome by 46 drunkenness and sorrow. The cup of your sister Samaria is a cup of horror and desolation. 23:34 You will drain it dry, 47 gnaw its pieces, 48 and tear out your breasts, 49 for I have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord.
23:35 “Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Because you have forgotten me and completely disregarded me, 50 you must bear now the punishment 51 for your obscene conduct and prostitution.”
23:36 The Lord said to me: “Son of man, are you willing to pronounce judgment 52 on Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominable deeds! 23:37 For they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and their sons, whom they bore to me, 53 they have passed through the fire as food to their idols. 54 23:38 Moreover, they have done this to me: In the very same day 55 they desecrated my sanctuary and profaned my Sabbaths. 23:39 On the same day they slaughtered their sons for their idols, they came to my sanctuary to desecrate it. This is what they have done in the middle of my house.
23:40 “They even sent for men from far away; when the messenger arrived, those men set out. 56 For them you bathed, 57 painted your eyes, and decorated yourself with jewelry. 23:41 You sat on a magnificent couch, with a table arranged in front of it where you placed my incense and my olive oil. 23:42 The sound of a carefree crowd accompanied her, 58 including all kinds of men; 59 even Sabeans 60 were brought from the desert. The sisters 61 put bracelets on their wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads. 23:43 Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now they will commit immoral acts with her.’ 23:44 They had sex with her 62 as one does with a prostitute. In this way they had sex with Oholah and Oholibah, promiscuous women. 23:45 But upright men will punish them appropriately for their adultery and bloodshed, 63 because they are adulteresses and blood is on their hands.
23:46 “For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Bring up an army 64 against them and subject them 65 to terror and plunder. 23:47 That army will pelt them with stones and slash them with their swords; they will kill their sons and daughters and burn their houses. 66 23:48 I will put an end to the obscene conduct in the land; all the women will learn a lesson from this and not engage in obscene conduct. 23:49 They will repay you for your obscene conduct, and you will be punished for idol worship. 67 Then you will know that I am the sovereign Lord.”
24:1 The word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month 68 : 24:2 “Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege 69 to Jerusalem 70 this very day. 24:3 Recite a proverb to this rebellious house 71 and say to them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“‘Set on the pot, 72 set it on,
pour water in it too;
24:4 add the pieces of meat to it,
every good piece,
the thigh and the shoulder;
fill it with choice bones.
24:5 Take the choice bone of the flock,
heap up bones under it;
boil rapidly,
and boil its bones in it.
24:6 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says:
Woe to the city of bloodshed,
the pot whose rot 73 is in it,
whose rot has not been removed 74 from it!
Empty it piece by piece.
No lot has fallen on it. 75
24:7 For her blood was in it;
she poured it on an exposed rock;
she did not pour it on the ground to cover it up with dust.
24:8 To arouse anger, to take vengeance,
I have placed her blood on an exposed rock so that it cannot be covered up.
24:9 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says:
Woe to the city of bloodshed!
I will also make the pile high.
24:10 Pile up the bones, kindle the fire;
cook the meat well, mix in the spices,
let the bones be charred.
24:11 Set the empty pot on the coals, 76
until it becomes hot and its copper glows,
until its uncleanness melts within it and its rot 77 is consumed.
24:12 It has tried my patience; 78
yet its thick rot is not removed 79 from it.
Subject its rot to the fire! 80
24:13 You mix uncleanness with obscene conduct. 81
I tried to cleanse you, 82 but you are not clean.
You will not be cleansed from your uncleanness 83
until I have exhausted my anger on you.
24:14 “‘I the Lord have spoken; judgment 84 is coming and I will act! I will not relent, or show pity, or be sorry! 85 I will judge you 86 according to your conduct 87 and your deeds, declares the sovereign Lord.’”
24:15 The word of Lord came to me: 24:16 “Son of man, realize that I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you with a jolt, 88 but you must not mourn or weep or shed tears. 24:17 Groan in silence for the dead, 89 but do not perform mourning rites. 90 Bind on your turban 91 and put your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your lip 92 and do not eat food brought by others.” 93
24:18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. In the morning 94 I acted just as I was commanded. 24:19 Then the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things you are doing mean for us?”
24:20 So I said to them: “The word of the Lord came to me: 24:21 Say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Realize I am about to desecrate my sanctuary – the source of your confident pride, 95 the object in which your eyes delight, 96 and your life’s passion. 97 Your very own sons and daughters whom you have left behind will die 98 by the sword. 24:22 Then you will do as I have done: You will not cover your lip or eat food brought by others. 99 24:23 Your turbans will be on your heads and your sandals on your feet; you will not mourn or weep, but you will rot 100 for your iniquities 101 and groan among yourselves. 24:24 Ezekiel will be an object lesson for you; you will do all that he has done. When it happens, then you will know that I am the sovereign Lord.’
24:25 “And you, son of man, this is what will happen on the day I take 102 from them their stronghold – their beautiful source of joy, the object in which their eyes delight, and the main concern of their lives, 103 as well as their sons and daughters: 104 24:26 On that day a fugitive will come to you to report the news. 105 24:27 On that day you will be able to speak again; 106 you will talk with the fugitive and be silent no longer. You will be an object lesson for them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”
25:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 25:2 “Son of man, turn toward 107 the Ammonites 108 and prophesy against them. 25:3 Say to the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the sovereign Lord: This is what the sovereign Lord says: You said “Aha!” about my sanctuary when it was desecrated, about the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and about the house of Judah when they went into exile. 25:4 So take note, 109 I am about to make you slaves of 110 the tribes 111 of the east. They will make camps among you and pitch their tents among you. They will eat your fruit and drink your milk. 25:5 I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and Ammon 112 a resting place for sheep. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 25:6 For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Because you clapped your hands, stamped your feet, and rejoiced with intense scorn 113 over the land of Israel, 25:7 take note, I have stretched out my hand against you, and I will hand you over as plunder 114 to the nations. I will cut you off from the peoples and make you perish from the lands. I will destroy you; then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
25:8 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Moab 115 and Seir say, “Look, the house of Judah is like all the other nations.” 25:9 So look, I am about to open up Moab’s flank, 116 eliminating the cities, 117 including its frontier cities, 118 the beauty of the land – Beth Jeshimoth, Baal Meon, and Kiriathaim. 25:10 I will hand it over, 119 along with the Ammonites, 120 to the tribes 121 of the east, so that the Ammonites will no longer be remembered among the nations. 25:11 I will execute judgments against Moab. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
25:12 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Edom 122 has taken vengeance against the house of Judah; they have made themselves fully culpable 123 by taking vengeance 124 on them. 125 25:13 So this is what the sovereign Lord says: I will stretch out my hand against Edom, and I will kill the people and animals within her, 126 and I will make her desolate; from Teman to Dedan they will die 127 by the sword. 25:14 I will exact my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel. They will carry out in Edom my anger and rage; they will experience 128 my vengeance, declares the sovereign Lord.’”
25:15 “This is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘The Philistines 129 have exacted merciless revenge, 130 showing intense scorn 131 in their effort to destroy Judah 132 with unrelenting hostility. 133 25:16 So this is what the sovereign Lord says: Take note, I am about to stretch out my hand against the Philistines. I will kill 134 the Cherethites 135 and destroy those who remain on the seacoast. 25:17 I will exact great vengeance upon them with angry rebukes. 136 Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I exact my vengeance upon them.’”
26:1 In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, 137 the word of the Lord came to me: 26:2 “Son of man, because Tyre 138 has said about Jerusalem, 139 ‘Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I will become rich, 140 now that she 141 has been destroyed,’ 26:3 therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, 142 I am against you, 143 O Tyre! I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. 26:4 They will destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers. I will scrape her soil 144 from her and make her a bare rock. 26:5 She will be a place where fishing nets are spread, surrounded by the sea. For I have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord. She will become plunder for the nations, 26:6 and her daughters 145 who are in the field will be slaughtered by the sword. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
26:7 “For this is what the sovereign Lord says: Take note that 146 I am about to bring King Nebuchadrezzar 147 of Babylon, king of kings, against Tyre from the north, with horses, chariots, and horsemen, an army and hordes of people. 26:8 He will kill your daughters in the field with the sword. He will build a siege wall against you, erect a siege ramp against you, and raise a great shield against you. 26:9 He will direct the blows of his battering rams against your walls and tear down your towers with his weapons. 148 26:10 He will cover you with the dust kicked up by his many horses. 149 Your walls will shake from the noise of the horsemen, wheels, and chariots when he enters your gates like those who invade through a city’s broken walls. 150 26:11 With his horses’ hoofs he will trample all your streets. He will kill your people with the sword, and your strong pillars will tumble down to the ground. 26:12 They will steal your wealth and loot your merchandise. They will tear down your walls and destroy your luxurious 151 homes. Your stones, your trees, and your soil he will throw 152 into the water. 153 26:13 I will silence 154 the noise of your songs; the sound of your harps will be heard no more. 26:14 I will make you a bare rock; you will be a place where fishing nets are spread. You will never be built again, 155 for I, the Lord, have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord.
26:15 “This is what the sovereign Lord says to Tyre: Oh, how the coastlands will shake at the sound of your fall, when the wounded groan, at the massive slaughter in your midst! 26:16 All the princes of the sea will vacate 156 their thrones. They will remove their robes and strip off their embroidered clothes; they will clothe themselves with trembling. They will sit on the ground; they will tremble continually and be shocked at what has happened to you. 157 26:17 They will sing this lament over you: 158
“‘How you have perished – you have vanished 159 from the seas,
O renowned city, once mighty in the sea,
she and her inhabitants, who spread their terror! 160
26:18 Now the coastlands will tremble on the day of your fall;
the coastlands by the sea will be terrified by your passing.’ 161
26:19 “For this is what the sovereign Lord says: When I make you desolate like the uninhabited cities, when I bring up the deep over you and the surging 162 waters overwhelm you, 26:20 then I will bring you down to bygone people, 163 to be with those who descend to the pit. I will make you live in the lower parts of the earth, among 164 the primeval ruins, with those who descend to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited or stand 165 in the land of the living. 26:21 I will bring terrors on you, and you will be no more! Though you are sought after, you will never be found again, declares the sovereign Lord.”
27:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 27:2 “You, son of man, sing a lament for Tyre. 166 27:3 Say to Tyre, who sits at the entrance 167 of the sea, 168 merchant to the peoples on many coasts, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“‘O Tyre, you have said, “I am perfectly beautiful.”
27:4 169 Your borders are in the heart of the seas;
your builders have perfected your beauty.
27:5 They crafted 170 all your planks out of fir trees from Senir; 171
they took a cedar from Lebanon to make your mast.
27:6 They made your oars from oaks of Bashan;
they made your deck 172 with cypresses 173 from the Kittean isles. 174
27:7 Fine linen from Egypt, woven with patterns, was used for your sail
to serve as your banner;
blue and purple from the coastlands of Elishah 175 was used for your deck’s awning.
27:8 The leaders 176 of Sidon 177 and Arvad 178 were your rowers;
your skilled 179 men, O Tyre, were your captains.
27:9 The elders of Gebal 180 and her skilled men were within you, mending cracks; 181
all the ships of the sea and their mariners were within you to trade for your merchandise. 182
27:10 Men of Persia, Lud, 183 and Put were in your army, men of war.
They hung shield and helmet on you; they gave you your splendor.
27:11 The Arvadites 184 joined your army on your walls all around,
and the Gammadites 185 were in your towers.
They hung their quivers 186 on your walls all around;
they perfected your beauty.
27:12 “‘Tarshish 187 was your trade partner because of your abundant wealth; they exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your products. 27:13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your clients; they exchanged slaves and bronze items for your merchandise. 27:14 Beth Togarmah exchanged horses, chargers, 188 and mules for your products. 27:15 The Dedanites 189 were your clients. Many coastlands were your customers; they paid 190 you with ivory tusks and ebony. 27:16 Edom 191 was your trade partner because of the abundance of your goods; they exchanged turquoise, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral, and rubies for your products. 27:17 Judah and the land of Israel were your clients; they traded wheat from Minnith, 192 millet, honey, olive oil, and balm for your merchandise. 27:18 Damascus was your trade partner because of the abundance of your goods and of all your wealth: wine from Helbon, white wool from Zahar, 27:19 and casks of wine 193 from Izal 194 they exchanged for your products. Wrought iron, cassia, and sweet cane were among your merchandise. 27:20 Dedan was your client in saddlecloths for riding. 27:21 Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your trade partners; for lambs, rams, and goats they traded with you. 27:22 The merchants of Sheba and Raamah engaged in trade with you; they traded the best kinds of spices along with precious stones and gold for your products. 27:23 Haran, Kanneh, Eden, merchants from Sheba, Asshur, and Kilmad were your clients. 27:24 They traded with you choice garments, purple clothes and embroidered work, and multicolored carpets, bound and reinforced with cords; these were among your merchandise. 27:25 The ships of Tarshish 195 were the transports for your merchandise.
“‘So you were filled and weighed down in the heart of the seas.
27:26 Your rowers have brought you into surging waters.
The east wind has wrecked you in the heart of the seas.
27:27 Your wealth, products, and merchandise, your sailors and captains,
your ship’s carpenters, 196 your merchants,
and all your fighting men within you,
along with all your crew who are in you,
will fall into the heart of the seas on the day of your downfall.
27:28 At the sound of your captains’ cry the waves will surge; 197
27:29 They will descend from their ships – all who handle the oar,
the sailors and all the sea captains – they will stand on the land.
27:30 They will lament loudly 198 over you and cry bitterly.
They will throw dust on their heads and roll in the ashes; 199
27:31 they will tear out their hair because of you and put on sackcloth,
and they will weep bitterly over you with intense mourning. 200
27:32 As they wail they will lament over you, chanting:
“Who was like Tyre, like a tower 201 in the midst of the sea?”
27:33 When your products went out from the seas,
you satisfied many peoples;
with the abundance of your wealth and merchandise
you enriched the kings of the earth.
27:34 Now you are wrecked by the seas, in the depths of the waters;
your merchandise and all your company have sunk 202 along with you. 203
27:35 All the inhabitants of the coastlands are shocked at you,
and their kings are horribly afraid – their faces are troubled.
27:36 The traders among the peoples hiss at you;
you have become a horror, and will be no more.’”
28:1 The word of the Lord came to me: 28:2 “Son of man, say to the prince 204 of Tyre, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“‘Your heart is proud 205 and you said, “I am a god; 206
I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas” –
yet you are a man and not a god,
though you think you are godlike. 207
28:3 Look, you are wiser than Daniel; 208
no secret is hidden from you. 209
28:4 By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself;
you have amassed gold and silver in your treasuries.
28:5 By your great skill 210 in trade you have increased your wealth,
and your heart is proud because of your wealth.
28:6 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says:
Because you think you are godlike, 211
28:7 I am about to bring foreigners 212 against you, the most terrifying of nations.
They will draw their swords against the grandeur made by your wisdom, 213
and they will defile your splendor.
28:8 They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die violently 214 in the heart of the seas.
28:9 Will you still say, “I am a god,” before the one who kills you –
though you are a man and not a god –
when you are in the power of those who wound you?
28:10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised 215 by the hand of foreigners;
for I have spoken, declares the sovereign Lord.’”
28:11 The word of the Lord came to me: 28:12 “Son of man, sing 216 a lament for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“‘You were the sealer 217 of perfection,
full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
28:13 You were in Eden, the garden of God. 218
Every precious stone was your covering,
the ruby, topaz, and emerald,
the chrysolite, onyx, and jasper,
the sapphire, turquoise, and beryl; 219
your settings and mounts were made of gold.
On the day you were created they were prepared.
28:14 I placed you there with an anointed 220 guardian 221 cherub; 222
you were on the holy mountain of God;
you walked about amidst fiery stones.
28:15 You were blameless in your behavior 223 from the day you were created,
until sin was discovered in you.
28:16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence, 224 and you sinned;
so I defiled you and banished you 225 from the mountain of God –
the guardian cherub expelled you 226 from the midst of the stones of fire.
28:17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty;
you corrupted your wisdom on account of your splendor.
I threw you down to the ground;
I placed you before kings, that they might see you.
28:18 By the multitude of your iniquities, through the sinfulness of your trade,
you desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I drew fire out from within you;
it consumed you,
and I turned you to ashes on the earth
before the eyes of all who saw you.
28:19 All who know you among the peoples are shocked at you;
you have become terrified and will be no more.’”
28:20 The word of the Lord came to me: 28:21 “Son of man, turn toward 227 Sidon 228 and prophesy against it. 28:22 Say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“‘Look, I am against you, 229 Sidon,
and I will magnify myself in your midst.
Then they will know that I am the Lord
when I execute judgments on her
and reveal my sovereign power 230 in her.
28:23 I will send a plague into the city 231 and bloodshed into its streets;
the slain will fall within it, by the sword that attacks it 232 from every side.
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
28:24 “‘No longer will Israel suffer from the sharp briers 233 or painful thorns of all who surround and scorn them. 234 Then they will know that I am the sovereign Lord.
28:25 “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: When I regather the house of Israel from the peoples where they are dispersed, I will reveal my sovereign power 235 over them in the sight of the nations, and they will live in their land that I gave to my servant Jacob. 28:26 They will live securely in it; they will build houses and plant vineyards. They will live securely 236 when I execute my judgments on all those who scorn them and surround them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.’”
29:1 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, 237 the word of the Lord came to me: 29:2 “Son of man, turn toward 238 Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt. 29:3 Tell them, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
“‘Look, I am against 239 you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,
the great monster 240 lying in the midst of its waterways,
who has said, “My Nile is my own, I made it for myself.” 241
29:4 I will put hooks in your jaws
and stick the fish of your waterways to your scales.
I will haul you up from the midst of your waterways,
and all the fish of your waterways will stick to your scales.
29:5 I will leave you in the wilderness,
you and all the fish of your waterways;
you will fall in the open field and will not be gathered up or collected. 242
I have given you as food to the beasts of the earth and the birds of the skies.
29:6 Then all those living in Egypt will know that I am the Lord
because they were a reed staff 243 for the house of Israel;
29:7 when they grasped you with their hand, 244 you broke and tore 245 their shoulders,
and when they leaned on you, you splintered and caused their legs to be unsteady. 246
29:8 “‘Therefore, this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will kill 247 every person and every animal. 29:9 The land of Egypt will become a desolate ruin. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
Because he said, “The Nile is mine and I made it,” 29:10 I am against 248 you and your waterways. I will turn the land of Egypt into an utter desolate ruin from Migdol 249 to Syene, 250 as far as the border with Ethiopia. 29:11 No human foot will pass through it, and no animal’s foot will pass through it; it will be uninhabited for forty years. 29:12 I will turn the land of Egypt into a desolation in the midst of desolate lands; for forty years her cities will lie desolate in the midst of ruined cities. I will scatter Egypt among the nations and disperse them among foreign countries.
29:13 “‘For this is what the sovereign Lord says: At the end of forty years 251 I will gather Egypt from the peoples where they were scattered. 29:14 I will restore the fortunes of Egypt, and will bring them back 252 to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin; there they will be an insignificant kingdom. 29:15 It will be the most insignificant of the kingdoms; it will never again exalt itself over the nations. I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations. 29:16 It will never again be Israel’s source of confidence, but a reminder of how they sinned by turning to Egypt for help. 253 Then they will know that I am the sovereign Lord.’”
29:17 In the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, 254 the word of the Lord came to me: 29:18 “Son of man, King Nebuchadrezzar 255 of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre. 256 Every head was rubbed bald and every shoulder rubbed bare; yet he and his army received no wages from Tyre for the work he carried out against it. 29:19 Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to give the land of Egypt to King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon. He will carry off her wealth, capture her loot, and seize her plunder; it will be his army’s wages. 29:20 I have given him the land of Egypt as his compensation for attacking Tyre 257 , because they did it for me, declares the sovereign Lord. 29:21 On that day I will make Israel powerful, 258 and I will give you the right to be heard 259 among them. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
[16:15] 1 tn Heb “it” (so KJV, ASV); the referent (the beauty in which the prostitute trusted, see the beginning of the verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[23:3] 2 tn In the Hebrew text the subject is left unstated and must be supplied from the context.
[23:4] 3 tn The names Oholah and Oholibah are both derived from the word meaning “tent.” The meaning of Oholah is “her tent,” while Oholibah means “my tent is in her.”
[23:4] 4 sn In this allegory the Lord is depicted as being the husband of two wives. The OT law prohibited a man from marrying sisters (Lev 18:18), but the practice is attested in the OT (cf. Jacob). The metaphor is utilized here for illustrative purposes and does not mean that the Lord condoned such a practice or bigamy in general.
[23:5] 5 tn Heb “while she was under me.” The expression indicates that Oholah is viewed as the Lord’s wife. See Num 5:19-20, 29.
[23:5] sn Played the harlot refers to alliances with pagan nations in this context. In Ezek 16 harlotry described the sin of idolatry.
[23:5] 7 tn The term apparently refers to Assyrian military officers; it is better construed with the description that follows. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:738.
[23:7] 8 tn Heb “lusted after.”
[23:8] 9 tn Heb “and poured out their harlotry on her.”
[23:9] 10 tn Heb “I gave her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the sons of Assyria.”
[23:11] 12 tn The word “this” is not in the original text.
[23:14] 13 tn The only other occurrence of the Hebrew term is in Jer 22:14.
[23:15] 14 tn Heb “the sons of Babel.”
[23:16] 15 tn Heb “at the appearance of her eyes.”
[23:16] 16 sn The Chaldeans were prominent tribal groups of Babylonia. The imagery is reminiscent of events in the reigns of Hezekiah (2 Kgs 20:12-15) and Jehoiakim (2 Kgs 23:34-24:1).
[23:17] 17 tn Heb “The sons of Babel came to her on a bed of love.”
[23:18] 19 tn Heb “She exposed her harlotry and she exposed her nakedness.”
[23:20] 22 tn Heb “She lusted after their concubines (?) whose flesh was the flesh of donkeys.” The phrase “their concubines” is extremely problematic here. The pronoun is masculine plural, suggesting that the Egyptian men are in view, but how concubines would fit into the picture envisioned here is not clear. Some suggest that Ezekiel uses the term in an idiomatic sense of “paramour,” but this still fails to explain how the pronoun relates to the noun. It is more likely that the term refers here to the Egyptians’ genitals. The relative pronoun that follows introduces a more specific description of their genitals.
[23:21] 23 tn Or “you took note of.” The Hebrew verb פָּקַד (paqad) in the Qal implies evaluating something and then acting in light of that judgment; here the prophet depicts Judah as approving of her youthful unfaithfulness and then magnifying it at the present time. Some translations assume the verb should be repointed as a Niphal, rendering “you missed” or by extension “you longed for,” but such an extension of the Niphal “to be missing” is otherwise unattested.
[23:21] 24 tn Heb “when (they) did,” but the verb makes no sense here and is better emended to “when (they) fondled,” a verb used in vv. 3 and 8. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:43.
[23:21] 25 tn Heb “for the sake of,” but the expression is awkward and is better emended to read “to squeeze.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:43.
[23:22] 26 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
[23:23] 27 sn Pekod was the name of an Aramean tribe (known as Puqudu in Mesopotamian texts) that lived in the region of the Tigris River.
[23:23] 28 sn Shoa was the name of a nomadic people (the Sutu) that lived in Mesopotamia.
[23:23] 29 sn Koa was the name of another Mesopotamian people group (the Qutu).
[23:24] 30 tn Heb “come against.”
[23:24] 31 tn This is the only occurrence of this term in the OT. The precise meaning is uncertain.
[23:24] 32 tn Heb “an assembly of peoples.”
[23:24] 33 tn Heb “I will place before them judgment.”
[23:25] 35 tn Heb “they will remove.”
[23:25] sn This method of punishment is attested among ancient Egyptian and Hittite civilizations. See W. Zimmerli, Ezekiel (Hermeneia), 1:489.
[23:27] 37 tn Heb “I will cause your obscene conduct to cease from you and your harlotry from the land of Egypt.”
[23:27] 38 tn Heb “lift your eyes to them.”
[23:28] 39 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
[23:28] 40 tn Heb “I am giving you into the hand of.”
[23:29] 41 tn The Hebrew term means “labor,” but by extension it can also refer to that for which one works.
[23:29] 42 tn Heb “The nakedness of your prostitution will be exposed, and your obscene conduct and your harlotry.”
[23:30] 43 tn The infinitive absolute continues the sequence begun in v. 28: “Look here, I am about to deliver you.” See Joüon 2:430 §123.w.
[23:31] 44 tn Heb “her cup.” A cup of intoxicating strong drink is used, here and elsewhere, as a metaphor for judgment because both leave one confused and reeling. (See Jer 25:15, 17, 28; Hab 2:16.) The cup of wrath is a theme also found in the NT (Mark 14:36).
[23:32] 45 sn The image of a deep and wide cup suggests the degree of punishment; it will be extensive and leave the victim helpless.
[23:33] 46 tn Heb “filled with.”
[23:34] 47 tn Heb “You will drink it and drain (it).”
[23:34] 48 tn D. I. Block compares this to the idiom of “licking the plate” (Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:754, n. 137). The text is difficult as the word translated “gnaw” is rare. The noun is used of the shattered pieces of pottery and so could envision a broken cup. But the Piel verb form is used in only one other place (Num 24:8), where it is a denominative from the noun “bone” and seems to mean to “break (bones).” Why it would be collocated with “sherds” is not clear. For this reason some emend the phrase to read “consume its dregs” (see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 2:44) or emend the verb to read “swallow,” as if the intoxicated Oholibah breaks the cup and then eats the very sherds in an effort to get every last drop of the beverage that dampens them.
[23:34] 49 sn The severe action is more extreme than beating the breasts in anguish (Isa 32:12; Nah 2:7). It is also ironic for these are the very breasts she so blatantly offered to her lovers (vv. 3, 21).
[23:35] 50 tn Heb “and you cast me behind your back.” The expression pictures her rejection of the Lord (see 1 Kgs 14:9).
[23:35] 51 tn The word “punishment” is not in the Hebrew text but is demanded by the context.
[23:36] 52 tn Heb “will you judge.” Here the imperfect form of the verb is probably used with a desiderative nuance. Addressed to the prophet, “judge” means to warn of or pronounce God’s impending judgment. See 20:4; 22:2.
[23:37] 53 sn The Lord speaks here in the role of the husband of the sisters.
[23:37] 54 tn Heb “they have passed to them for food.” The verb is commonly taken to refer to passing children through fire, especially as an offering to the pagan god Molech. See Jer 32:35.
[23:38] 55 tn Heb “in that day.”
[23:40] 56 tn Heb “to whom a messenger was sent, and look, they came.” Foreign alliances are in view here.
[23:40] 57 tn The Hebrew verb form is feminine singular, indicating that Oholibah (Judah) is specifically addressed here. This address continues through verse 42a (note “her”), but then both sisters are described in verse 42b, where the feminine pronouns are again plural.
[23:42] 58 tn Heb “(was) in her.”
[23:42] 59 tn Heb “and men from the multitude of mankind.”
[23:42] 60 tn An alternate reading is “drunkards.” Sheba is located in the area of modern day Yemen.
[23:42] 61 tn Heb “they”; the referents (the sisters) have been specified in the translation for the sake of clarity.
[23:44] 62 tn Heb “and they came to her.”
[23:45] 63 tn Heb “and upright men will judge them (with) the judgment of adulteresses and the judgment of those who shed blood.”
[23:46] 65 tn Heb “give them to.”
[23:47] 66 tn The Hebrew text adds “with fire.”
[23:49] 67 tn Heb “and the sins of your idols you will bear.” By extension it can mean the punishment for the sins.
[24:1] 68 tn The date of this oracle was January 15, 588
[24:2] 69 tn Heb “lean on, put pressure on.”
[24:2] 70 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[24:3] 71 sn The book of Ezekiel frequently refers to the Israelites as a rebellious house (Ezek 2:5, 6, 8; 3:9, 26-27; 12:2-3, 9, 25; 17:12; 24:3).
[24:3] 72 sn See Ezek 11:3-12.
[24:6] 74 tn Heb “has not gone out.”
[24:6] 75 tn Here “lot” may refer to the decision made by casting lots; it is not chosen at all.
[24:11] 76 tn Heb “set it upon its coals, empty.”
[24:11] 77 tn Or “rust” (so also in v. 12).
[24:12] 78 tn Heb “(with) toil she has wearied.” The meaning of the statement is unclear in the Hebrew text; some follow the LXX and delete it. The first word in the statement (rendered “toil” in the literal translation above) occurs only here in the OT, and the verb “she has wearied” lacks a stated object. Elsewhere the Hiphil of the verb refers to wearying someone or trying someone’s patience. The feminine subject is apparently the symbolic pot.
[24:12] 79 tn Heb “does not go out.”
[24:12] 80 tn Heb “in fire its rust.” The meaning of the expression is unclear. The translation understands the statement as a command to burn the rust away. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:768.
[24:13] 81 tn Heb “in your uncleanness (is) obscene conduct.”
[24:13] 82 tn Heb “because I cleansed you.” In this context (see especially the very next statement), the statement must refer to divine intention and purpose. Despite God’s efforts to cleanse his people, they resisted him and remained morally impure.
[24:13] 83 tn The Hebrew text adds the word “again.”
[24:14] 84 tn Heb “it”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:14] 85 tn Or perhaps, “change my mind.”
[24:14] 86 tc Some medieval Hebrew
[24:17] 89 tn Or “Groan silently. As to the dead….” Cf. M. Greenberg’s suggestion that דֹּם מֵתִים (dom metim) be taken together and דֹּם be derived from ָדּמַם (damam, “to moan, murmur”). See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:508.
[24:17] 90 tn Heb “(For) the dead mourning you shall not conduct.” In the Hebrew text the word translated “dead” is plural, indicating that mourning rites are in view. Such rites would involve outward demonstrations of one’s sorrow, including wailing and weeping.
[24:17] 91 sn The turban would normally be removed for mourning (Josh 7:6; 1 Sam 4:12).
[24:17] 92 sn Mourning rites included covering the lower part of the face. See Lev 13:45.
[24:17] 93 tn Heb “the bread of men.” The translation follows the suggestion accepted by M. Greenberg (Ezekiel [AB], 2:509) that this refers to a meal brought by comforters to the one mourning. Some repoint the consonantal text to read “the bread of despair” (see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 2:56), while others, with support from the Targum and Vulgate, emend the consonantal text to read “the bread of mourners” (see D. I. Block, Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:784).
[24:18] 94 tn This may refer to the following morning. For a discussion of various interpretive options in understanding the chronology reflected in verse 18, see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:790.
[24:21] 95 tn Heb “the pride of your strength” means “your strong pride.”
[24:21] 96 sn Heb “the delight of your eyes.” Just as Ezekiel was deprived of his beloved wife (v. 16, the “desire” of his “eyes”) so the Lord would be forced to remove the object of his devotion, the temple, which symbolized his close relationship to his covenant people.
[24:21] 97 tn Heb “the object of compassion of your soul.” The accentuation in the traditional Hebrew text indicates that the descriptive phrases (“the source of your confident pride, the object in which your eyes delight, and your life’s passion”) modify the preceding “my sanctuary.”
[24:23] 100 tn The same verb appears in 4:17 and 33:10.
[24:23] 101 tn Or “in your punishment.” The phrase “in/for [a person’s] iniquity/punishment” occurs fourteen times in Ezekiel: here; 3:18, 19; 4:17; 7:13, 16; 18:17, 18, 19, 20; 33:6, 8, 9; 39:23. The Hebrew word for “iniquity” may also mean the “punishment” for iniquity or “guilt” of iniquity.
[24:25] 102 tn Heb “(Will) it not (be) in the day I take?”
[24:25] 103 tn Heb “the uplifting of their soul.” According to BDB 672 s.v. מַשָּׂא 2, the term “uplifting” refers to “that to which they lift up their soul, their heart’s desire.” However, this text is the only one listed for this use. It seems more likely that the term has its well-attested nuance of “burden, load,” here and refers to that which weighs them down emotionally and is a constant source of concern or worry.
[24:25] 104 tn In the Hebrew text there is no conjunction before “their sons and daughters.” For this reason one might assume that the preceding descriptive phrases refer to the sons and daughters, but verse 21 suggests otherwise. The descriptive phrases appear to refer to the “stronghold,” which parallels “my sanctuary” in verse 21. The children constitute a separate category.
[24:26] 105 tn Heb “to make the ears hear.”
[24:27] 106 tn Heb “your mouth will open.”
[25:2] 107 tn Heb “set your face toward.”
[25:2] 108 tn Heb “the sons of Ammon.” Ammon was located to the east of Israel.
[25:4] 109 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates being aware of or taking notice of something and has been translated here with a verb (so also throughout the chapter).
[25:4] 110 tn Heb “Look I am about to give you for a possession to.”
[25:5] 112 tn Heb “the sons of Ammon.”
[25:6] 113 tn Heb “with all your scorn in (the) soul.”
[25:7] 114 tc The translation here follows the marginal reading (Qere) of the Hebrew text. The consonantal text (Kethib) is meaningless.
[25:8] 115 sn Moab was located immediately south of Ammon.
[25:9] 117 tn Heb “from the cities.” The verb “eliminating” has been added in the translation to reflect the privative use of the preposition (see BDB 583 s.v. מִן 7.b).
[25:9] 118 tn Heb “from its cities, from its end.”
[25:10] 119 tn Heb “I will give it for a possession.”
[25:10] 120 tn Heb “the sons of Ammon” (twice in this verse).
[25:10] 121 tn Heb “the sons.”
[25:12] 122 sn Edom was located south of Moab.
[25:12] 123 tn Heb “and they have become guilty, becoming guilty.” The infinitive absolute following the finite verb makes the statement emphatic and draws attention to the degree of guilt incurred by Edom due to its actions.
[25:12] 124 tn Heb “and they have taken vengeance.”
[25:12] 125 sn Edom apparently in some way assisted in the destruction of Jerusalem in 587/6
[25:13] 126 tn Heb “and I will cut off from her man and beast.”
[25:15] 129 sn The Philistines inhabited the coastal plain by the Mediterranean Sea, west of Judah.
[25:15] 130 tn Heb “have acted with vengeance and taken vengeance with vengeance.” The repetition emphasizes the degree of vengeance which they exhibited, presumably toward Judah.
[25:15] 131 tn Heb “with scorn in (the) soul.”
[25:15] 132 tn The object is not specified in the Hebrew text, but has been clarified as “Judah” in the translation.
[25:15] 133 tn Heb “to destroy (with) perpetual hostility.” Joel 3:4-8 also speaks of the Philistines taking advantage of the fall of Judah.
[25:16] 134 tn In Hebrew the verb “and I will cut off” sounds like its object, “the Cherethites,” and draws attention to the statement.
[25:16] 135 sn This is a name for the Philistines, many of whom migrated to Palestine from Crete.
[25:17] 136 tn Heb “with acts of punishment of anger.”
[26:1] 137 tc Date formulae typically include the month. According to D. I. Block (Ezekiel [NICOT], 2:34, n. 27) some emend to “in the twelfth year in the eleventh month” based partially on the copy of the LXX from Alexandrinus, where Albright suggested that “eleventh month” may have dropped out due to haplography.
[26:1] sn April 23, 587
[26:2] 138 sn Tyre was located on the Mediterranean coast north of Israel.
[26:2] 139 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[26:2] 140 tn Heb “I will be filled.”
[26:2] 141 sn That is, Jerusalem.
[26:3] 142 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) draws attention to something and has been translated here as a verb.
[26:3] 143 tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8. The Hebrew text switches to a second feminine singular form here, indicating that personified Jerusalem is addressed (see vv. 5-6a). The address to Jerusalem continues through v. 15. In vv. 16-17 the second masculine plural is used, as the people are addressed.
[26:6] 145 sn That is, the towns located inland that were under Tyre’s rule.
[26:7] 146 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) draws attention to something.
[26:7] 147 tn Heb “Nebuchadrezzar” is a variant and more correct spelling of Nebuchadnezzar, as the Babylonian name Nabu-kudurri-usur has an an “r” rather than an “n.”
[26:10] 149 tn Heb “From the abundance of his horses he will cover you (with) their dust.”
[26:10] 150 tn Heb “like those who enter a breached city.”
[26:12] 151 tn Heb “desirable.”
[26:12] 153 tn Heb “into the midst of the water.”
[26:13] 154 tn Heb “cause to end.”
[26:14] 155 sn This prophecy was fulfilled by Alexander the Great in 332
[26:16] 156 tn Heb “descend from.”
[26:16] 157 tn Heb “and they will be astonished over you.”
[26:17] 158 tn Heb “and they will lift up over you a lament and they will say to you.”
[26:17] 159 tn Heb “O inhabitant.” The translation follows the LXX and understands a different Hebrew verb, meaning “cease,” behind the consonantal text. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 2:72, and D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:43.
[26:17] 160 tn Heb “she and her inhabitants who placed their terror to all her inhabitants.” The relationship of the final prepositional phrase to what precedes is unclear. The preposition probably has a specifying function here, drawing attention to Tyre’s inhabitants as the source of the terror mentioned prior to this. In this case, one might paraphrase verse 17b: “she and her inhabitants, who spread their terror; yes, her inhabitants (were the source of this terror).”
[26:18] 161 tn Heb “from your going out.”
[26:20] 163 tn Heb “to the people of antiquity.”
[26:20] 164 tn Heb “like.” The translation assumes an emendation of the preposition כְּ (kÿ, “like”), to בְּ (bÿ, “in, among”).
[26:20] 165 tn Heb “and I will place beauty.” This reading makes little sense; many, following the lead of the LXX, emend the text to read “nor will you stand” with the negative particle before the preceding verb understood by ellipsis; see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:73. D. I. Block (Ezekiel [NICOT], 2:47) offers another alternative, taking the apparent first person verb form as an archaic second feminine form and translating “nor radiate splendor.”
[27:2] 166 tn Heb “lift up over Tyre a lament.”
[27:3] 167 tn Heb “entrances.” The plural noun may reflect the fact that Tyre had two main harbors.
[27:3] 168 sn Rome, another economic power, is described in a similar way in Rev 17:1.
[27:4] 169 tn The city of Tyre is described in the following account as a merchant ship.
[27:5] 171 tn Perhaps the hull or deck. The term is dual, so perhaps it refers to a double-decked ship.
[27:6] 173 tc The Hebrew reads “Your deck they made ivory, daughter of Assyria.” The syntactically difficult “ivory” is understood here as dittography and omitted, though some construe this to refer to ivory inlays. “Daughter of Assyria” is understood here as improper word division and the vowels repointed as “cypresses.”
[27:6] 174 tn Heb “from the coastlands (or islands) of Kittim,” generally understood to be a reference to the island of Cyprus, where the Phoenicians had a trading colony on the southeast coast. Many modern English versions have “Cyprus” (CEV, TEV), “the coastlands of Cyprus” (NASB), “the coasts of Cyprus” (NIV, NRSV), or “the southern coasts of Cyprus” (NLT).
[27:6] sn The Kittean isles is probably a reference to southeast Cyprus where the Phoenicians had a colony.
[27:7] 175 sn This is probably a reference to Cyprus.
[27:8] 176 tc The MT reads “the residents of”; the LXX reads “your rulers who dwell in.” With no apparent reason for the LXX to add “the rulers” many suppose something has dropped out of the Hebrew text. While more than one may be possible, Allen’s proposal, positing a word meaning “elders,” is the most likely to explain the omission in the MT from a graphic standpoint and also provides a parallel to the beginning of v. 9. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:81.a parallel to v. 9.
[27:8] 177 map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[27:8] 178 sn Sidon and Arvad, like Tyre, were Phoenician coastal cities.
[27:9] 180 sn Another Phoenician coastal city located between Sidon and Arvad.
[27:9] 181 tn Heb “strengthening damages.” Here “to strengthen” means to repair. The word for “damages” occurs several times in 1 Kgs 12 about some type of damage to the temple, which may have referred to or included cracks. Since the context describes Tyre in its glory, we do not expect this reference to damages to be of significant scale, even if there are repairmen. This may refer to using pitch to seal the seams of the ship, which had to be done periodically and could be considered routine maintenance rather than repair of damage.
[27:9] 182 sn The reference to “all the ships of the sea…within you” suggests that the metaphor is changing; previously Tyre had been described as a magnificent ship, but now the description shifts back to an actual city. The “ships of the sea” were within Tyre’s harbor. Verse 11 refers to “walls” and “towers” of the city.
[27:11] 184 tn Heb “sons of Arvad.”
[27:11] 185 sn The identity of the Gammadites is uncertain.
[27:11] 186 tn See note on “quivers” in Jer 51:11 on the meaning of Hebrew שֶׁלֶט (shelet) and also M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:553.
[27:12] 187 sn Tarshish refers to a distant seaport sometimes believed to be located in southern Spain (others identified it as Carthage in North Africa). In any event it represents here a distant, rich, and exotic port which was a trading partner of Tyre.
[27:14] 188 tn The way in which these horses may have been distinguished from other horses is unknown. Cf. ASV “war-horses” (NASB, NIV, NRSV, CEV all similar); NLT “chariot horses.”
[27:15] 189 tn Heb “sons of Dedan.”
[27:15] 190 tn Heb “they returned as your gift.”
[27:16] 191 tc Many Hebrew
[27:17] 192 sn The location is mentioned in Judg 11:33.
[27:19] 193 tc The MT leaves v. 18 as an incomplete sentence and begins v. 19 with “and Dan and Javan (Ionia) from Uzal.” The LXX mentions “wine.” The translation follows an emendation assuming some confusions of vav and yod. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:82.
[27:19] 194 sn According to L. C. Allen (Ezekiel [WBC], 2:82), Izal was located between Haran and the Tigris and was famous for its wine.
[27:25] 195 tn Or perhaps “Large merchant ships.” The expression “ships of Tarshish” may describe a class of vessel, that is, large oceangoing merchant ships.
[27:27] 196 tn Heb “your repairers of damage.” See v. 9.
[27:28] 197 tn Compare this phrase to Isa 57:20 and Amos 8:8. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:561.
[27:30] 198 tn Heb “make heard over you with their voice.”
[27:30] 199 tn Note a similar expression to “roll in the ashes” in Mic 1:10.
[27:31] 200 tn Heb “and they will weep concerning you with bitterness of soul, (with) bitter mourning.”
[27:32] 201 tn As it stands, the meaning of the Hebrew text is unclear. The translation follows the suggestion of M. Dahood, “Accadian-Ugaritic dmt in Ezekiel 27:32,” Bib 45 (1964): 83-84. Several other explanations and emendations have been offered. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:83, and D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:85-86, for a list of options.
[27:34] 203 tn Heb “in the midst of you.”
[28:2] 204 tn Or “ruler” (NIV, NCV).
[28:2] 205 tn Heb “lifted up.”
[28:2] 206 tn Or “I am divine.”
[28:2] 207 tn Heb “and you made your heart (mind) like the heart (mind) of gods.”
[28:3] 208 sn Or perhaps “Danel” (so TEV), referring to a ruler known from Canaanite legend. See the note on “Daniel” in 14:14. A reference to Danel (preserved in legend at Ugarit, near the northern end of the Phoenician coast) makes more sense here when addressing Tyre than in 14:14.
[28:3] 209 sn The tone here is sarcastic, reflecting the ruler’s view of himself.
[28:6] 211 tn Heb “because of your making your heart like the heart of gods.”
[28:7] 212 sn This is probably a reference to the Babylonians.
[28:7] 213 tn Heb “they will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom.”
[28:8] 214 tn Heb “you will die the death of the slain.”
[28:10] 215 sn The Phoenicians practiced circumcision, so the language here must be figurative, indicating that they would be treated in a disgraceful manner. Uncircumcised peoples were viewed as inferior, unclean, and perhaps even sub-human. See 31:18 and 32:17-32, as well as the discussion in D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:99.
[28:12] 217 tn For a discussion of possible nuances of this phrase, see M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:580-81.
[28:13] 218 sn The imagery of the lament appears to draw upon an extrabiblical Eden tradition about the expulsion of the first man (see v. 14 and the note there) from the garden due to his pride. The biblical Eden tradition speaks of cherubs placed as guardians at the garden entrance following the sin of Adam and Eve (Gen 3:24), but no guardian cherub like the one described in verse 14 is depicted or mentioned in the biblical account. Ezekiel’s imagery also appears to reflect Mesopotamian and Canaanite mythology at certain points. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:119-20.
[28:13] 219 tn The exact identification of each gemstone is uncertain. The list should be compared to that of the priest in Exod 28:17-20, which lists twelve stones in rows of three. The LXX apparently imports the Exod 28 list. See reference to the types of stones in L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:91.
[28:14] 220 tn Or “winged”; see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:91.
[28:14] 221 tn The meaning of this phrase in Hebrew is uncertain. The word translated here “guards” occurs in Exod 25:20 in reference to the cherubim “covering” the ark.
[28:14] 222 tn Heb “you (were) an anointed cherub that covers and I placed you.” In the Hebrew text the ruler of Tyre is equated with a cherub, and the verb “I placed you” is taken with what follows (“on the holy mountain of God”). However, this reading is problematic. The pronoun “you” at the beginning of verse 14 is feminine singular in the Hebrew text; elsewhere in this passage the ruler of Tyre is addressed with masculine singular forms. It is possible that the pronoun is a rare (see Deut 5:24; Num 11:15) or defectively written (see 1 Sam 24:19; Neh 9:6; Job 1:10; Ps 6:3; Eccl 7:22) masculine form, but it is more likely that the form should be repointed as the preposition “with” (see the LXX). In this case the ruler of Tyre is compared to the first man, not to a cherub. If this emendation is accepted, then the verb “I placed you” belongs with what precedes and concludes the first sentence in the verse. It is noteworthy that the verbs in the second and third lines of the verse also appear at the end of the sentence in the Hebrew text. The presence of a conjunction at the beginning of “I placed you” is problematic for the proposal, but it may reflect a later misunderstanding of the syntax of the verse. For a defense of the proposed emendation, see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:91.
[28:16] 224 tn Heb “they filled your midst with violence.”
[28:16] 225 tn Heb “I defiled you.” The presence of the preposition “from” following the verb indicates that a verb of motion is implied as well. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:91.
[28:16] 226 tn Heb “and I expelled you, O guardian cherub.” The Hebrew text takes the verb as first person and understands “guardian cherub” as a vocative, in apposition to the pronominal suffix on the verb. However, if the emendation in verse 14a is accepted (see the note above), then one may follow the LXX here as well and emend the verb to a third person perfect. In this case the subject of the verb is the guardian cherub. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:91.
[28:21] 227 tn Heb “set your face against.”
[28:21] 228 sn Sidon was located 25 miles north of Tyre.
[28:21] map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[28:22] 229 tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
[28:22] 230 tn Or “reveal my holiness.” God’s “holiness” is fundamentally his transcendence as sovereign ruler of the world. The revelation of his authority and power through judgment is in view in this context.
[28:23] 231 tn Heb “into it”; the referent of the feminine pronoun has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[28:23] 232 tn Heb “by a sword against it.”
[28:24] 233 sn Similar language is used in reference to Israel’s adversaries in Num 33:55; Josh 23:13.
[28:24] 234 tn Heb “and there will not be for the house of Israel a brier that pricks and a thorn that inflicts pain from all the ones who surround them, the ones who scorn them.”
[28:25] 235 tn Or “reveal my holiness.” See verse 22.
[28:26] 236 sn This promise was given in Lev 25:18-19.
[29:1] 237 tn January 7, 587
[29:2] 238 tn Heb “set your face against.”
[29:3] 239 tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
[29:3] 240 tn Heb “jackals,” but many medieval Hebrew
[29:3] 241 sn In Egyptian theology Pharaoh owned and controlled the Nile. See J. D. Currid, Ancient Egypt and the Old Testament, 240-44.
[29:5] 242 tc Some Hebrew
[29:6] 243 sn Compare Isa 36:6.
[29:7] 244 tn The Hebrew consonantal text (Kethib) has “by your hand,” but the marginal reading (Qere) has simply “by the hand.” The LXX reads “with their hand.”
[29:7] 245 tn Or perhaps “dislocated.”
[29:7] 246 tn Heb “you caused to stand for them all their hips.” An emendation which switches two letters but is supported by the LXX yields the reading “you caused all their hips to shake.” See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:103. In 2 Kgs 18:21 and Isa 36:6 trusting in the Pharaoh is compared to leaning on a staff. The oracle may reflect Hophra’s attempt to aid Jerusalem (Jer 37:5-8).
[29:8] 247 tn Heb “I will cut off from you.”
[29:10] 248 tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘h!nn#n' ?l?K>,’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
[29:10] 249 sn This may refer to a site in the Egyptian Delta which served as a refuge for Jews (Jer 44:1; 46:14).
[29:10] 250 sn Syene is known today as Aswan.
[29:13] 251 sn In Ezek 4:4-8 it was said that the house of Judah would suffer forty years.
[29:14] 252 tc Thus the Masoretic Text. The LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate translate as though the Hebrew read “cause to inhabit.”
[29:16] 253 tn Heb “reminding of iniquity when they turned after them.”
[29:17] 254 sn April 26, 571
[29:18] 255 tn Heb “Nebuchadrezzar” is a variant and more correct spelling of Nebuchadnezzar, as the Babylonian name Nabu-kudurri-usur has an “r” rather than an “n” (so also in v. 19).
[29:18] 256 sn Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre from 585 to 571
[29:18] map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.
[29:20] 257 tn Heb “for which he worked,” referring to the assault on Tyre (v. 18).
[29:21] 258 tn Heb “I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel.” The horn is used as a figure for military power in the OT (Ps 92:10). A similar expression is made about the Davidic dynasty in Ps 132:17.
